Call for young people to help beat the criminals

23 January 2026

Social media, gaming, and online shopping are just some of the ways criminals are targeting young people to steal their money.

According to the regulator Ofcom, more than 90 per cent of young people have experienced online scams. These include bogus offers for goods and services, ‘get rich quick’ schemes, online dating, card and banking fraud, identity theft, cash machine scams, and online job adverts asking for an upfront fee, as well as counterfeit sports events and concert tickets.

Now, young people in North Northamptonshire are being urged to fight back against the criminals and protect others against scams.

The national Young Friends Against Scams initiative, supported by North Northamptonshire Council’s Trading Standards team, is calling on young people to become a ‘Friend Against Scams’. They can also attend a short awareness session in person or complete the online training.

The role will equip young people with a better understanding about the different types of scams they may be vulnerable to, and how to report them.

With young people spending more and more time online, they can be very susceptible to scams, and it’s important to be vigilant. Realising you’ve been targeted by criminals can be difficult, and with advances in Artificial Intelligence (AI), criminals are becoming more sophisticated and making their scams more convincing. Becoming a ‘Friend Against Scams’ is a great way to learn how to protect yourself, your friends, and your family.Cllr Elizabeth Wright, Executive Member for Children, Families and Education, at North Northamptonshire Council

Scams are crimes that can have a significant long-lasting impact on the wellbeing and finances of the victim. Protecting consumers from scams continues to be a priority for Trading Standards at both a local and national level. I would encourage everyone to join Friends Against Scams so we can collectively make a difference and empower our communities to take a stand against scams together.Cllr Kirk Harrison, North Northamptonshire Council’s Executive Member for Regulatory Services

Schools, youth group leaders, and other educators are also being encouraged to get involved and become ‘scam champions’ to help spread the message to young people, aged 11 years old and over, and their families.  

By signing up, they’ll receive materials covering scams that affect young people, such as social media, gaming, online shopping and more, as well as scams that could affect their family members and community such as doorstep crime, postal scams, telephone fraud and online scams, while also raising awareness of the signs that someone may be a victim of a scam.

The ‘Scam Champions’ resource pack includes:

• Young Friends Against Scams training PowerPoint
• Lesson plans (60-minute and 30-minute versions)
• Assembly presentations on scams affecting young people (20 minutes)
• Interactive activities and games
• Certificates of completion

You can access the resources here.

As well as supporting the campaign, North Northamptonshire Council will also be sharing social media messages about how people can get involved. 

To find out more visit the Friends Against Scams website or email [email protected] or call 03001235488. 

The Team would also welcome any feedback or further opportunities to collaborate on scam awareness among young people.

If anyone believes they have been the victim of a scam, it can be reported to Trading Standards via the Citizens Advice Consumer Service on 08082231133, or people can report a scam or fraud at www.reportfraud.police.uk